Fly Fishing the Lower Jackson River (Tailwater) VirginiaThe lower Jackson River, a tailwater below Gathright dam, is one of the best trout streams in the state of Virginia. It has a good population of wild rainbow and brown trout. It was stocked prior to 1993 and since has proven it can reproduce plenty of wild trout. The upper section of the Jackson River is covered in another section of the stream guides.

Most of this river is not available to the public for fishing. We all know you should never trespass on private property but this situation deserves special attention regarding that. It has a history of some very serious issues regarding trespassing so be certain you are fishing at public access areas.

The main area available to the public to fish is just belowthe Gathright dam. There are five other areas open to the public that provide access to some of the approximate total eighteen mile length of the river.

The Jackson River tailwater can be waded in areas during periods of low water but it is best fished from a drift boat. The water from the dam stays cold year-round, averaging in the high fifties to the low sixties.

The river holds a good population of aquatic insects and crustaceans as well as plenty of baitfish and sculpin. The stream has didymo present in the section below the dam, so please be sure to take all precautions to control the spread of it.

The area just below the dam is usually best fished with small midge and nymph imitations. Long, light leaders and tippets work best for this. During periods of low light levels, streamers often produce. Fly Fishing the Jackson River tailwater can be challenging at times, but fished using the right methods and techniques, it often produces some very large catches.

The lower Jackson River offers both wild rainbow and brown trout fly fishing opportunities. The bottom discharge dam usually has a steady flow of water that is cold and clean.

There is a wide variety and a diverse population ofaquatic invertebrates and forage fish for the trout to feed on. The water temperature stays very cool year-round with average temperature ranging in the low fifties right below the dam, to the low sixties a few miles downstream.

Fly fishing the Lower Jackson River tailwater is one of thebest opportunities for an angler to catch large, wild trout in the South

Season:The tailwater is open to fishing year-roundWinter:The tailwater fishes well during the Winter due to its almost constant water temperature.Spring:Springtime is considered a good time for fly fishing the Jackson River tailwater provided the releases of water from the lake are reasonable.

Lower Jackson River Fly Fishing Guide:Jackson River trout are wild, stream-bred, hard-fighting, rainbows and brown trout. The cold water comes from the depths of Lake Moomaw at the Garthright Dam.

Water releases are usually too big in winter and early spring to fish. They seem to keep it pretty constant after June 1. Check the GSGS website before you go. Flow rates around 280cfs are perfect for wading.

The best way to fish the river is by drift boat, pontoon or a canoe. The water can be very shallow and large drift boats may have problems getting over the bottom. Popular stretches are from Johnson Springs to Smith Bridge, Indian Draft or Petticoat Junction. You can fish from Johnson Springs all the way down to the Mead Westvaco Landing at Covington.

You have probably heard of the property and fishing rights controversy. It has been going on a long time and involves "King's Grant" property rights whereas owners exclude fishing. Some people have King's Grant rights because they were recognized by a previous court case. We understand that a certain group of property owners are currently suing anglers for fishing between Smith Bridge and Indian Draft.

Summer:The water temperature remains cool below the dam even in the hot summer.Fall:Fall is many anglers favorite time to fish the river, especially for its large brown trout.

Guide, continued:Our suggestions for determining where to fish and where not to fish is to go by the Virginia Department of Game and Fish Website Map. It requires you to respect the "no fishing signs" upstream of Johnson Springs.

The best access for wading anglers is immediately below Gathright Dam. This area is about a quarter-mile-long. Most trout caught in this section will be smaller size rainbows but there are a few large ones in the mix. There is also a short section of water you can wade at Johnson Springs.

Lower Jackson River Hatches and Trout Flies:Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing.

Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Jackson River and in all stages of life that is applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our custom will use nothing else.1-800-594-4726.

There are several species of aquatic insects present on the Lower Jackson River tailwater but most of them exist in only certain areas and are sporadic hatches. There are a few reliable hatches. Blue-winged Olives are one of the most reliable ones. They are bi-brooded and hatch from the first of March through April and again in late September and October. They are small species, usually no larger than a hook size 18 and mostly size 20's.

The section of the river farther downstream in the wild trout area between Johnson Springs and Petticoat Junction is more like the Jackson River freestone stream. There are some Quill Gordons that hatch in March and April, some Hendricksons that hatch in April, Sulphurs that hatch in June and July and Tricos that hatch in August and September. These are at best sporatic and pinpointing a hatch is not easy to do. The discharges of water from the dam seems to vary these population of insects and hatches from year to year. Blue-winged Olives, Sulphurs and Tricos seem to be the most consistent of them.

There are several different species of caddisflies that hatch. They start as early as April and last through October, depending on the area and the species of caddisfly. The great majority are net-spinning caddis called Cinnamon Sedges. There are about six species of these. Little Sister caddisflies also are plentiful at times. They hatch mostly during July and August.

Hatches, continued:A large bulk of the food supply consist of scuds. They are plentiful and average a hook size 14 when fully grown.

The most consistent hatches on the Lower Jackson River is the mighty midge. They hatch year-round but become more important during the cold weather months. There are plenty of cream midges and blood midges that are of course, red. We suggest you always have imitations of these in sizes 20 or 22 in both the larva and pupa stages of life. At times you can take fish feeding on the surface using the adult imitations, either cream or black (adult blood midge).

Black Flies are present in large numbers. They become most important during the Winter months. Trout eat the Black Fly larvae, pupae and the adults. We suggest having imitations of each in hook sizes 18 or 20. We have Perfect Fly imitations of the Black Fly in all stages of life.

One of the most important flies you can have is a streamer. Patterns that imitate sculpin and baitfish are effective and especially on the larger size trout. The river has a population of thread-fin shad, dace and other types of baitfish that the larger trout feed on. A good selection of streamers is a must in our opinion.

Streamers always work best in low light conditions. Early morning, late afternoon and evenings and during periods of heavy overcast skies are the best times to fish a streamer. You want the trout to get a good enough look at it to know it is there, but not good enough to determine it is a fake.

Fishing Report Updated 09/18/17

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Lower Jackson River Fishing Report - 09/18/17The discharges and stream levels are in good shape. This is always subject to change, so be sure to check the discharge schedule and stream levels.Stream Conditions:

7 Day Weather Forecast: There is a chance of rain today, otherwise clear for the next week. Highs will range from 74 to 78 degrees and lows from 58 to 60 degrees.

Strategies, Techniques and Tips:Other than midges, various species of Blue-winged olives are the most plentiful and available trout food at this time.Our Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin streamers are great flies to use on this river during the fall and winter months.Midges will always work. We recommend fishing a larva on the bottom and a pupa about 12 inches up the tippet. Fish the adult imitations only when you observe them on the surface or trout feeding on the surface.Slate Drakes are hatching.Little Yellow stoneflies are hatching.Terrestrials may be important at times - Japanese beetles, Carpenter ants, and hoppers.

Options For Selecting Flies:1. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response.

2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need.

3. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)with a budget for flies and we will select them to match the budget and get them to you in time for your fly fishing trip.

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